DPP brands Malawi media ‘anti-government’

Malawi's ruling DPP campaign director Ken Zikhale Ng'oma has accused Malawi's leading online publication Nyasa Times and the country's media of giving platform to opposition parties and civil society to discredit Bingu wa Mutharika government.

Speaking in Zodiak’s popular program, Tiuzeni Zoona on Sunday, Zikhale attacked Nyasa Times and daily papers accusing them of being opposition agents.

"They are backing the opposition to write bad stories of government and President Bingu wa Mutharika," he said.

According to Zikhale, the online media and Malawi newspaper titles were biased against government "out of envy".

During the interview, Zikhale also said  President Bingu wa Mutharika is not bitter with the Rumphi Central Constituency loss and has instead accepted the loss with humility being a democrat.

Zikhale: Media is biased

DPP Campaign said the party was also happy that the seat did not go to Vice President Joyce Banda’s PP or People Development Movement PDM.

“The President is not angry with the loss. He has accepted it being a democrat himself," said Zikhale.

"The result has also given us strength that parties that were making noise PP and PDM are worse than us. We are still visible. We lost because most of our supporters did not vote as they were threatened that their houses would be set ablaze,” he said.

Ng’oma also blamed the Electoral Commission for the loss, saying the polls were held at a sensitive period.

“The commission wasn’t fair on us. We had the July 20 demos, the August 17 threats and it was insensitive for the commission to go ahead with the elections,” he said.

Asked if the loss was a message that the party has lost touch, Ng’oma insisted the party is still popular and will win in 2014.

When the host ZBS political editor Pilirani Phiri asked him if the party will consider changing candidates when the going gets tough, Zikhale maintained Professor Peter Mutharika will remain the party’s  presidential candidate in 2014.

Pressed to comment on a recording alleged to be Peter Mutharika talking ill of Chimunthu Banda, Kandodo Banda and Binton Kuntsaira, the Campaign Director feigned ignorance of the clip that led to the dismissal of a MIJ radio journalist.

“Am not aware of that. All I know is that Peter is in good spirits and is our candidate,” he said.

Zikhale also pointed out that President Mutharika is “God given” leader to Malawi.

Nyasa Times 11 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/national/dpp-brands-malawi-media-%e2%80%98anti-government%e2%80%99/
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